I once had a friend who commented that it must be nice to be a teacher because I get my summers off. I politely smiled and joked, but I also felt the need to clarify for her that I do not ever actually have a summer "off", nor am I ever really done working at 3:30 during the school year. After a little "schooling", she laughed and mumbled an apology, but I wondered if she really understood the dedication educators have to our careers.
What so many people outside of education do not understand is that teachers may be working with students between 8:00 and 3:30, but our time away from them is just as filled with all the tasks that make that time productive. My own son once told me he would never be a teacher because it is too much work! Yikes. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, and the outside work doesn't bother me. It only hurts my soul when we get vilified in the press or when people make thoughtless comments because the outside world doesn't see how fortunate I am to work with such amazing people who work hard to build tomorrow's leaders.
Many educators use the summer to take classes and attend workshops, and we are fortunate to live in a time where we can take advantage of these opportunities with webinars, online coursework, as well as face to face events.
Several local councils throughout Illinois will be hosting a plethora of professional development opportunities to help teachers in the classroom improve their literacy practices. Check out http://www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org/eventscalendar.html for a full calendar!
Judson University is offering Literacy in Motion June 21 - 24 a 4 day conference featuring Chris Lehman, Ellin Oliver Keane, Tim Rasinski, Karen and Brian Tucker, Mary Casanova, and Gary Schmidt.
Still not enough...well of course...don't forget about International Literacy Association's Annual Conference in Boston from July 9 - 11. I can't even begin to list the HUGE opportunities to learn about literacy and meet some of the world's best authors and researchers.
Although the IRC book club is underway, it isn't too late to hop on board and read and reflect to Reading Nonfiction: Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. Even if you don't participate in the book club, it is still a great summer read that will kick off your schoolyear with new ways to help students think critically while reading nonfiction.
Finally, it isn't too early to start preparing for next year! International Literacy Day is September 8 (you can find more information at the ILA website) and Pernille Ripp has announced the books for the Global Read Aloud to begin this October. Check out her site, join the event and start reading! You can find information for GRA at https://theglobalreadaloud.com/
Speaking of prepping....don't forget to fill out your paperwork to attend the Illinois Reading Council's annual conference.
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Reading: Unlocking Opportunities
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